The present invention relates to a seatbelt device and a method of assembling the same, and in particular, relates to a seatbelt device which comprises a seatbelt to which a tongue parting the seatbelt into a shoulder belt and a lap belt is fixed.
Conventionally, the seatbelt device which is equipped with the tongue fixed to the seatbelt so that tensions applied to the lap belt and the shoulder belt can be adjusted separately is known as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-198757, for example. In this seatbelt device, in order to improve the amount of withdrawal and the operation of the lap belt and the shoulder belt, a retractor for lap belt with a lock mechanism is provided at a tip of the lap belt in addition to a retractor for shoulder belt with a lock mechanism which is provided at a tip of the shoulder belt. Further, according to the seatbelt device disclosed in this patent document, the retractor for shoulder belt and the retractor for lap belt are fixed to the center pillar of the vehicle body.
The seatbelt device disclosed in the above-described patent document, however, had a problem. That is, both the retractor for shoulder belt and the retractor for lap belt are fixed to the center pillar, so that in case the lock mechanisms of the retractors operate in a vehicle collision, forces transmitting via the shoulder belt and the retractor for shoulder belt and the lap belt and the retractor for lap belt may concentrate on the center pillar improperly.